Dead Stretcher Bearer

[lazyschnauzer]

This is a little Great War trench vignette based on the Gilbert Rogers painting of the same name hanging [i believe...] in the Imperial War Museum in London.

Your comments and critique, as always, are very welcome!

The Gilbert Rogers painting....

The vignette.....

I took the liberty of giving his uniform a (yellow) diamond insignia of the British 62nd Division in 1917. I hope I've done him justice.

Kreston Peckham will be painting the vignette and we hope to have it done in time for MFCA in May next year.

All the best,

Dan

more pics on my blog - http://heroesonthewire.blogspot.com/

[bigjarofwasps]

Depressing, yet strangley moving.

Two points..

Point 1 - if he is in fact a dead stretcher bearer, how did he end up on the strecther. Or am I being to critical.

Point 2- why has he got a cold box with him? (sorry point 2 is a little silly ignore it!!)

[bigjarofwasps]

Now this one a do like!!!!

It also helps labour my point, if the stretcher bearer was dead, surely he would ne xt to the strecher as apposed to on it? Or am I looking to deeply, and loosing the point?

......Finally guys, if you haven`t visited the blog, I strongly urge you to, check on the `On the wire` models, there brilliant & disturbing!!!!

[lazyschnauzer]

Hmmm....I suppose I didn't consider it in the way you did. What I saw was an allegorical painting of loss and war's futility. An unknown soldier whose duty to others caused him to lose his life. Basically, I was going for the same effect or intention.

As for the "cold box", it's meant to be a large shell dressing bag or box. Look on the left bottom of the painting. I'm sure this will become clear once it is painted.

Glad you liked the blog!

I spoke with the painter last night and he won't be able to even start painting this until sometime in the summer. He has a lot of commissions to do.

All the best,

Dan

[bigjarofwasps]

Hi Dan,

I thought the painting was ment to have a deeper meaning than I could see, but I guess I`ll never make an art critic.

I do however look forward to seeing the model all painted up!!!!

Gordon.

[lazyschnauzer]

Gordon - I'll never be an art critic either!

But there is a reason why the well-recognized art of the First World War (or any period for that matter) works. Many people recognize John Singer Sargent's painting of the gassed Tommies. Many people recognize Fortunio Matania's illustration of the dying artillery horse and the British artilleryman hugging the horse's head and crying. They may not be able to tell you the artist's name, but they know the art work and, more importantly, their hearts and minds respond to it. I like the idea of trying to turn illustrations by Georges Scott or the British illustrator Snaffles or others into miniatures simply because I like the illustrations myself and also because I know the theme or pose or action depicted by the artist evokes a response in others. I've done 2 pieces by Georges Scott, one using a little of the technique by another French artist, Georges Ripart, and, of course, 1 by Gilbert Rogers. And I intend to do more in the future. I'm not by any means attempting to compare myself to these famous professional artists! Actually I'm just getting started as a miniatures sculptor, having been at it 3 years this summer. Anyways I'm glad you liked the piece and will post more of my stuff as it gets finished.

All the best,

Dan

[bigjarofwasps]

"Anyways I'm glad you liked the piece and will post more of my stuff as it gets finished."

That would be smashing Dan, look forward to it!!!

[lazyschnauzer]

In the meantime, I highly recommend Planetfigure.com and/or www.timelinesforum.com to anyone interested in miniatures and model figures, military or otherwise.

All the best,

Dan

[Luftwaffe Rules]

This gent is an awsome modeller! His work is very good, I sure hope he recreates the mud puddle also b/c that will set this piece OFF! All the best, Jon

[lazyschnauzer]

Thanks so much, Jon! Kreston Peckham is painting this one for me. I don't paint - just put 'em together and sculpt. Kreston is known as the "master of mud" among painters. So have no fear about the mud puddle. Seriously - he's very, very accomplished - he's been at it much longer than myself and has won many gold medals, best of shows, etc. over the years.

If you want to see an example of what he does with mud and with painting in general, look at the On the Wire diorama he painted. It's on my blog at http://heroesonthewire.blogspot.com/. Warning - it's kinda graphic!

This is what I'm working on now. It's based on an illustration (don't know the artist unfortunately) in John Ellis's book, Eye Deep in Hell. Three Tommies in the mud of the Somme. Two of them are trying desperately to pull their wounded buddy out of the mud. Their buddy is up to his waist in a mud hole. They have managed to put rifle slings under the armpits of the wounded man and wrapped them over the SMLE rifle that is over their shoulders. I'm not actually going to use the rifle shown. I have another that is a better example. The two Tommies are meant to look off-balance because they're struggling to stay out of the mud themselves, standing on the slippery sides of the hole in which their comrade has fallen. The way I see it they're constantly having to shift their boots around, change position, get better footing and simultaneously pulling for all they're worth. This is work in progress, so lots more to do.

All the best,

Dan

[Guest IMHF]

Your modeling is a piece of art: I love all of your modeling.

Thank you for sharing the step by step process of your work. Can't wait to see when it is finished.

Merry Christmas

SSG Luna, Lorenzo

[leigh kitchen]

I think that the Stretcher Bearer is sprawled on a partially folded stretcher, the intimation being that he was carrying it furled & fell on it?

[lazyschnauzer]

Leigh - Well - I don't know. You'd have to ask Mr. Gilbert Rogers about that. In the original painting, I don't see what you're suggesting. There's nothing wrong with your interpretation, but it's just not what I see. What I see is that the stretcher bearer was killed in action. Some infantrymen kindly put his body on his stretcher and covered his face.

You're just as right as I may be wrong and vv. No problem. That's what art is about isn't it?

All the best,

Dan

[Guest IMHF]

Are you going to put the red cross on the medic bag. I love the art photo it looks very muddy and dark like a true combat field.

I love your creativity, thank you for sharing your stuff:

Lorenzo

[lazyschnauzer]

Hey, Lorenzo - Many thanks! Here's the finished product painted by my good friend, Roger Newsome of Yorkshire.

All the best,

Dan

[lazyschnauzer]

And another picture...

Hope you like it!

Dan

[Guest IMHF]

Very Nice:

Thank you for posting the finished piece of art military history.

Lorenzo

Edited August 11, 2008 by IMHF